Motion toy



April 28, 1925.

F. A. BILLMEYER MOTION TOY Filed Sept. 25, 192-3 2 Sheets-Sheet l I V T-q April 28, 1925. 1,535,564-

F. A. BILLMEYER MOTION TOY Fild Sept. 25, 1923.. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '4 f I I i g I i 6 i 1 s a i i 10 0 o l I a I 1 I INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOTION TOY.

Application filed September 25, 1923. Serial N0. 664,6;74.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FAYETTE ALLEN BILL- MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and

resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motion toys and consists of an amusement device of novel character adapted to be manually operated and having movable objects or figures carried upon an endless belt and supported to be operable within a fixed environment and with relation to. an appro priate scene to give an impression which is realistic and attractive to the eye.

Important features of my improved device or toy structure comprise an improved arrangement of the, movable parts, adapted to effect the movement of the figures reversely so as to produce a succession of movable objects passing in reverse direction; an improved construction of the movable mem bers carrying the miniature objects or figures which allows of their being more easily and economically manufactured; an improved arrangement and construction of the container permitting of its being inexpensively produced with the stationary sceneprinted-thereon and which is so formed as to greatly facilitate the assembling of the device and accordingly reduce production cost and in addition will provide as a part of thefixed scene members so positioned in the foreground as to. hide from the normal vision the operating p'arts and accordingly heighten the desired illusion.

In, the. embodi nent'of the features of my invention as here illustrated the scenic effeet is shown as illustrating river or harbor scene showing a portion of a city as a stationary background and wherein the movable objects are in the form of miniature ships which when moved with relation to the fixed scene will convey to the eye a realistic and satisfying effect. As will be quite apparent the scenery and figure representations may be varied to represent many other scenic effects in like manner without departing from the features of the present invention. r

The several features and advantages of my present invention will be more fully understood by. reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved toy device as viewed from the front thereof.

1 2 is a plan view of the parts as assembled with a portion thereof shown in cross-section better to illustrate the struc ture.

Fig. 8 is a view illustrating the blank employed to form the enclosing member.

Fig. 4i is a View illustrating the blank which when folded forms the foreground and supporting structure for the moving parts. 7 i

Fig. 5 illustrates the blank form of the endless belts having the figures formed integrally therewith in accordance with my invention and Fig. 6 is a detailed view in front elevation illustrating the manner of driving the respective spools. r i

In the embodiment of my invention as herein illustrated the movable objects or figures 1-1 and 2-2 are mounted upon belts 3 and 4; and arranged to be moved in continuous progression lengthwise of the container and supporting member which as illustrated may desirably be in the form of a box enclosure having an open front and top and upon which is lithographed an appropriate scene or landscape. The movable figures are here shown as representations of steamships or other craft common to, the harbor scene which is shown asthe' associated background or fixed scene. In further accordance with my invention the figures are arranged to be movable over. aplatform support which is suitably formed and decorated to extend the fixed scene forwardly to provide an appropriate scenic foreground wihch is accordingly designed to heighten the illusion as hereinafter described and in its preferred form offers an additional advantage in forming a screen to obscure from the normal vision the operating spools employed to carry the moving belts.

The enclosing. and supporting parts of my improved toy are particularly designed to permit of their being made of suitable cardboard and to allow of their being economically printed and assembled so. as to produce a toy of this type which may be cominercially produced at a low cost. To this end the supportmg parts desirably consist of an outer enclosing member 6 formed from a blank, illustrated in Fig. 3, and an inner supporting member 7 termed of: a blanlr, as illustrated in Fig. 4-.

As is apparent this construction in the first instance effects an economy in the printing in that it allows of obtaining the desired fixed scene by printing upon one side of the cardboz-ird or paper only. The blank 6 as shown in Fig. 3, comprises a rectangular body or wall 8 to form the rear wall the container which has integrally formed therewith the side folds 9 and 10 which told ton wardly from its vertical. side edges and a bottom told 11 to fold forwardly from its lower longitudinal edge, as will be unc er stood by reference to l? l; the parts attached in this position by means of e tabs 12-12 integrally formed with the side folds 9 and 10 a folded inwardly over the upper surface of the bottom told 11 and attached thereto by glue or other suitable in Fig. -lcomprises a vert 1%, an upper centrally told 15 which is folded rea zontal position, a marginal sea-inextending" longitudinally of edge of to the lower longitlu it to be turned ream position, a back told lmuritiulinal ed; \rardly into 'i' :to horizontal criical wall tor the inne s i is secured by gluing r.

the upper marginal in in'il'iortant teature of the ii 1c: suppo 'ting' member structure consists in providing the front wall or bony told lei. at its end portion wi h the upward vertical extensions 21 and 22 formed and printed to provide appropriate foreground figures in the stationary scene so positioned as to hide the supporting spools, of the operating mechanism now to be described, trom the observer.

The operating parts conuirise suitable spools for carrying the endless belts heretotore reterred to with an exteriorly exi l at he opposite end of smndle E22. ".l

A l r forward end is l n rent to i nal operating rover or haneh anl has isounted thereon. the driving 3 c 1 snool 35. The spindle ley portion or nrojec' e spool wherel i r hereto and tanned therei i a j T "y member 2a. 'lhe opp nounl r thereon idler s} e is shown, beinp" io is! an v ri from the by the thcr or forward belt he spools and 28 and i. tlicreto by means of 260 which ccslrably be an cu "aging ire pulley notion is r.) i u the member 2 and 28 For moving (it the wit it in to the movement ol' the consists in 2 to J pro red l'orin oi? and conillus- 11' 'lli. by the joint 1 r 7- (so r i. A) at! H into vertical 1 movable n1 mber integrally with the belt l angles to the belt proper am OSliliOlL By so li'orming t in,

very substant a1 economies are eli'ected particularly with relation to the assembling 01 or tion.

is will be obvious from the construction V pended claims and it is accordingly intended that all matter herein shall be interpreted as llustrative and not in a limiting sense.

As illustrative thereof and as will be readily understood my device in a simplified form may be provided with but a single belt carryingthe miniature figures of the character described. f

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A motion toy of the character described con'iprising a suitable enclosing member, an inner supporting member having a horizontally positioned platform member or fold, spools suitably join-nailed adjacent the opposite ends of the platform folds, an endless belt carried by the spools and positioned whereby its upper loop is passed above and its lower loop is passed beneath the platform fold, means for rotating the spools and said inner supporting member adjacent its end portions being formed with forwardly positioned upwardly extended portions positioned to obscure the operating spools from normal vision and adapted to be decorated to produce a foreground scenic effect andsaid belt hav ng n'nniature figures mounted thereon, substantially as described.

52-. A motion toy of the character described having a scenic background and miniature figures adapted to be moved with relation thereto comprising a suitable supporting structure, spools suitably journalled and endless belts carried by the spools, said belts being formed of flexible material having the miniature figures formed integrally therewith, substantially as described,

3. A motion toy of the character described comprising a suitable enclosing member decorated to provide a scenic background, an inner supporting member having a platform portion of fold, spindles suitably journalled within the inner supporting member adja cent the respective ends thereof, forwardly and rearwardly positioned spools mounted upon each of the spindles, one of said spindles being rotatably connected to its supporting spindle and said spindle having a manipulating lever thereon, forwardly and rearwardly positioned endless belts carried upon the respective spools, miniature figures mounted upon the belts, one of said rearwardly positioned spools and the forwardly positioned spool at the opposite end being provided with pulley members and a crossed driving belt carried by said pulleys whereby upon manipulation of the operating lever the figure carrying belts will move in opposite direction, substantially as described.

t. A motion toy of the character described comprising an enclosing member, an inner supporting member formed of cardboard or like material having a vertical front fold 14, a bottom fold 17 extending rearwardly and horizontally therefrom, a back fold 18 vertically positioned, a platform fold l5 bent rcarwardlyfrom the upper edge of the front fold 14L at the central portion thereof, a marginal attaching fold 16 secured to the platform fold 15, said front fold havin vertical upper extensions 21 and 22 at its respective ends and said front fold and back fold being provided with bearing apertures at their respective end portions, spindles mounted in the bearing apertures, spools mounted upon the spindles, an endless belt carried bv the spools miniature figures car- 7 i ried by the belt and a manipulating lever formed upon one of the spindles and exteriorly arranged, substantially as described.

Signed at East Orange in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey this 31st day of August A. D. 1928.

FAYETTE ALLEN BILLMEYER. 

